Differentiation of U937 myelomonocytic cell line by all-trans retinoic acid and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3: synergistic effects on tissue transglutaminase
Defacque, H.; Commes, T.; Contet, V.; Sevilla, C.; Marti, J.
Leukemia 9(10): 1762-1767
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0887-6924 PMID: 7564522 Document Number: 445197
We studied tissue transglutaminase (TGase) expression in human myelomonocytic leukemia cells treated by combinations of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) and 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D-3 (VD). We found that in U937 cells, as in HL-60 and THP-1 cells, RA alone caused an early induction of enzyme activity, correlated with increased mRNA expression. VD alone also induced rapid TGase mRNA expression but in this case TGase enzymatic activity was not measurable until 96 h following onset of treatment. Combinations of both agents had no additional effects over those of RA alone on HL-60 cells, THP-1, and U937 cells during the first 48 h. However, following further incubation, U937 cells expressed increased levels of TGase when treated by both agents. By many criteria, including their sensitivity to various inducers of oxidative burst, lipopolysaccharide-induced production of monokines and in the present work, lysozyme secretion and TGase expression, U937 cells exposed to combinations of RA and VD exhibit a behavior different from those of HL-60 and THP-1 cells. They represent a type of leukemia cell amenable by this treatment to a stage close to that of a terminally differentiated macrophage.